Table of Contents: November 2016

Feature

2016 Cover Photo Contest Winners

Congratulations to the winners of the 2016 Adoptive Families Cover Photo Contest! See the nine photos selected from more than 1,000 entries, and read stories from the proud parents.

Personal Essays

“Front Porch Children“

Being a foster parent is not for the faint of heart. Your heart swells, loves, breaks, and heals with each placement—and it is all, every moment of it, worth it. | BY KERI COLLINSWORTH

From my own search for my roots through adopting older children from foster care, life has taught me to treasure my children’s biological connections while knowing that we don’t have to look alike to belong together. | BY VERONICA CHENIK GILMORE

“Family Is Now“

As I reflect on the vicissitudes of life—in my relationships with my father and with my daughter, and my daughter’s with her birth family—it becomes clear that family, any family, is ever changing. | BY DAWN FRIEDMAN

AF Picks

Gifts That Give Back

Each year, we search for companies that donate proceeds to charities that support adoption and other causes. Choose a gift for your child or loved ones from the merchants highlighted here and your purchase will benefit children and families around the world.